Sakura's New Year
by PassiveRebel78
Summary: She had absolutely no right to be depressed on New Years Eve, no matter that all her friends were out having fun without her. She'd make a plan to keep herself occupied, and happy. SakuIta NaruHina ShikaTem
1. Is this all there is to it?

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Naruto, I never have, and I never will. Thus it is a fanfiction!_**

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><p><em>Scrunch. Scrunch. Scrunch.<em>

The sound of brown sugar being relentlessly pounded by her stainless steel spoon.

The original reason for her coming to the kitchen was to get some tea. She had craved the soothing warmth and sweetness of the liquid- her throat felt dry and neglected even though she had been steadily drinking water throughout the day.

She knew exactly why, though. This day, the last day of the year, made her think much more than she cared too.

About her past.

_Sasuke! You lost Sasuke! _

_You burdened Naruto to the brink of insanity with your careless requests._

About how she failed, so many times.

_You failed the exams that would have made you respected. Would have made you strong. You wouldn't be a crybaby anymore. You weren't strong enough to be Jounin. Not the first time, not the second time. There won't be a third time._

How every single one of her friends, even _Naruto_, had a significant other. How sorry she felt for poor Hinata- Sakura really had no idea how the beautiful raven haired heiress coped with the rash, all-over-the-place blonde Uzumaki boy. But they were obviously deeply in love. Sakura decided that she wasn't all that sorry for Hinata, after all.

Just looking at the way Naruto would softly stroke Hinata's flawless cheek and then gently pull her onto his lap during their daily lunch at Ichiraku's made her inwardly cringe, half in regret, and half in jealousy. Seeing Hinata quietly giggle and turn the colour of an over-ripe tomato, before kissing Naruto on his cheek and whisper in his ear, reminding him about their scheduled training session after lunch, was one of the sweetest things she had ever seen. Sakura had never thought of herself as jealous- she was always happy with what she had, never coveted what others had. But seeing Naruto and Hinata's easy, love filled relashionship awakened that extremely unpleasant feeling in her. She badly wanted to get rid of it, but the more she thought, the more she tried convincing herself that she was just as happy.

She still had all her childhood friends- Team 7. Minus Sasuke of course. He had been killed in the 4th Great Shinobi War. Surprisingly, she felt nothing. Not sadness, definatly not happiness. He caused so many people so much pain- she wouldn't let him carry on doing so even in death. So Sasuke had stopped affecting her in every way- the only time he even crossed her mind was when she glanced at her coffee table and happened to see the dusty photo of her team in their Genin days. Still, it did not bring sadness. Instead, it ignited a spark of hope. Seeing them as children made Sakura think of what Shikamaru told her one day over a game of shougi the two rarely shared. The rest of Team 7 except for Sakura (who was on forced leave) plus Shikamaru (also on forced leave due to his severely injured body, the cause for which he wouldn't mention, although he did keep mumbling _"Troublesome women" _under his breath whenever his broken collarbone pained him, Sakura suspected it had something to do with a certain blonde Sand kunoichi). Shikamaru had just claimed the second last of her pieces and she was in the process of loudly cursing the game when he had unexpectedly spoken

"_Sakura?"_

"_Yes, Shikamaru?"_

"_Do you know who the king is?"_

_Surprised at the relatively strange question, she answered, "Well, I guess it depends on the context. It's the Feudal Lord to the citizens outside of Konoha, the Hokage to the citizens of Konoha except for the shinobi, for the shinobi it's the citizens of the village and of the country. As for shougi," she pointed a finger at her only remaining piece, "It's this little guy right here." Shikamaru chuckled softly._

"_Very perceptive Sakura. But you mentioned the citizens in general."_

"_Yeah, so?"_

"_The king is the village's unborn children and the young ones. The people who have to inherit Konoha from us."_

"_Yes," She nodded to herself, "Yes, that's true." There was a moment of silence as Sakura thought about what Shikamaru said. Yes, it makes sense._

"_But… there goes your king! Do better next time." Shikamaru said teasingly as he took her last remaining piece and declared, "I win!" Sakura never beat Shikamaru in shougi. Never had, and never will. But she was comforted by the fact that no-one ever had (except his dad!) but that didn't count._

_Sakura reached across the table and poked him in his sensitive collarbone area._

"_Oww! You're a medic –nin! Why don't you heal my damned shoulder!"_

"_I'll get Temari to do it for you. I trained her a bit last summer."_

"_No!"_

Sakura smiled at the memory. The king was protected- the war was over. She had absolutely no right to be depressed on New Years Eve, no matter that all her friends were out having fun without her. She'd make a plan to keep herself occupied, and happy.

After what seemed like ages, she finally stopped stabbing the sugar pot, calmly scooping two and a quarter teaspoons of treacle sugar- oh, how she loved seeing it move, it always made her think back to the time when she was a little girl and was scared of the dark sugar that crept around in the pot whenever she wanted to scoop some, and how her mother chided her for being such a scaredy-cat, but the chiding was always followed by some sweet tea- and stirred, enjoying the scent of her favourite, chamomile tea. She took the cup with her, making her way to her living room. On her old, worn, purple couch that she refused to get rid of because it was so comfy. She sunk down into it, enjoying the softness. She closed her eyes, and was just about to take a sip off her tea when

_Knock. Knock._

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><p><em>Who's at the door? To tell you the truth, I have no idea XD Anyways, this was originally intended to be a very long oneshot. Due to the fact that I stayed up until 00:32 to finish writing and publish it, I'm too tired to carry on. And I wanted it published on New Years. So it's gonna be a twoshot, maybe even the threeshot? Are those words? I dont know! This will be sakuraxitachi, Itachi's coming in next chapter I think. I will update tomorrow! (or rather, later today!) goodnight all and happy new year! <em>

_p.s I know the title sucks (I mean, 'Sakura's New Year'? How un-creative can you get? (shakes head) but when I think of a better one I'll change it! If anybody has an idea for me, please say in a review! oh, and review please! I've tried a different style of writing, want to see how it works out :) Thank you!  
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	2. Meeting the Masked

**Countless thanks to BlackRose123, Toyroys and Karleta who reviewed! you guys are beyond awesome! So sorry for the cliffy in the last chapter, I just couldn't resist XD**

**Hope you enjoy this one!  
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><p><em>Knock. Knock.<em>

Sakura groaned. Not now! With one last, longing look at the steamy cup of goodness she made her way to the door, not concerned in the least as to who it might be.

"Sai?" She started. There, in front of her, was the pale skinned ex-Root operative who was supposed to be at Naruto's having a New Year's Eve dinner with him, Hinata, Neji and TenTen. But what surprised her most was not that he was in fact there, but that he was bleeding from head to toe, mostly from the huge gash in his stomach.

"S-Sakura… Go to... Tsunade.. now. Mission.. went wrong. They need… you." Sai toppled over, breathing heavily, obviously in pain. For him to be in a state like this, something must've gone badly wrong with whatever mission they had been assigned too. Leaving no time to think about the strangeness of the situation, she promptly picked him up with her chakra enhanced hands, ignoring his protests.

"I can't let you bleed to death now," She set him down on her metal high-table she used for emergency healing, "Can I?" It wasn't a question- leaving a person that was this injured to go somewhere else was totally against her ethics, and Tsunade knew it. That was probably the reason she had sent Sai to her as the messenger in the first place. Her shishou was most likely, at this very moment, furiously healing Sai's unknown teammates, leaving him to her. She pulled on the black faux-leather gloves she used for missions and got to work, brushing away her worrisome thoughts as she completely focused her energies on knitting together the cut-up flesh on the ex-ANBU's stomach. She sighed. He was still so confident in his abilities that he wore that weird-looking shirt that cut off where his ribs ended, thus revealing most of his abdomen to enemy shinobi as a convenient means of target practice. Not that she had any doubt of his strength, and Sakura had never considered herself as any kind of fashion expert- leaving that kind of stuff to her childhood rival and friend Ino- but this was just too much, completely impractical.

She shook her head as her hands glowed green while she worked, giving off the signature _whoosh, whoosh_ sound of healing chakra. When she got him out of the most danger, she moved on to the small cuts on his arms and legs, checking for poison and infection. The cuts were relatively old- they must have travelled a long way back to Konoha. How he got so far with such a large wound- Sakura stood back, and let herself silently admire Sai's amazing stamina and pain threshold. He was a good person to have in any team.

Sai began squirming around, obviously uncomfortable with his vulnerable situation, no matter that his fellow teammate had healed him countless times before, and in many worse situations. Some people just never learn to trust completely. Sakura loved him anyway- he was a good friend and extremely loyal, even if a bit too direct at times.

"Are you done yet, Ugly?" Sakura laughed.

"Maybe, hideous." Sai gave a whisper of a smirk to that, before turning emotionless once again.

"The Godaime is waiting for you, you have no time to bother with me. Go." Sakura abruptly stopped the flow of her healing chakra. When healing intense wounds, she always had to force any and all potentially-distracting thoughts out of her head, due to the intensity of the process of healing. Forcing cells to knit together is an extremely delicate process in which anything can go wrong, resulting in serious consequences. In this case, she forced aside all the concern about her master and the wounded in order to concentrate on saving Sai. Heal now, think later. That was her Way of the Ninja.

"You won't die. There's food in the fridge." Sai began to muster a reply, but before the first syllable was out, Sakura was nowhere to be seen.

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><p>The team sent out consisted of Kakashi, Sai, Shino and an unknown man whose entire face was covered with a loose black mask, thus rendering Sakura unable to make out his features. An unusual bunch, but once she learned what their mission was, she completely understood.<p>

After healing the first 12 broken bones, internal bleeding and various other ailments at the side of Tsunade and her assistant/first apprentice Shizune (the man whose entire face was masked was the least injured of the four), she finally got the whole story.

Kabuto had been spotted near Rain. They had all thought him dead and gone, killed by Naruto's Fuuton: Rasen-Shuriken! near the end of the war. Unfortunatly, the Orochimaru inside of him refused to die. They suspected that he had just enough time to activate an emergency rebirth technique before Naruto's technique severed all his chakra vessels. In return, Orochimaru must have completely possessed Kabuto.

The civilian who had sighted him was a man with a history of being drunk and disorderly. He was also a cheap mercenary, hired to guard the borders of Amegakure - thus he recognised the rat-faced man as the deadly and insane S-class criminal who was listed in every country's Bingo Book with an incredible bounty on his head. He had immediately reported back to Rain's current Kage, their Angel Konan, unaware of his apparent death. Konan had been surprised and sceptical, but had reported back to her alley, Konoha, as the criminal was considered Leaf's responsibility.

As soon as the Intelligence division got hold of Rain's carrier pigeon, they brought it to the Hokage. To Shizune, she deemed it laughable. Yet, a small part of her was wary. Very wary. So she had sent out the team consisting of the four ninja who were least likely to complain that the mission was taking place on a public holiday.

"So I sent Sai for fast travelling purposes, Kakashi because of his Mangekyo in case of emergencies, and Shino for his chakra-draining bugs. And this one," The Hokage gestured to the masked man, who hadn't moved a muscle that Sakura could see, "For close-range fighting." Sakura raised a pink eyebrow at Tsunade's seeming reluctance to name the mysterious man.

"But Shishou, with so many able-bodied ninja, how are they so injured?" Tsunade sent Sakura a glance that said 'They went up against Orochimaru in Kabuto's body, which is clarified to the abilities of the man who knows the most techniques in the world, combined with a medical ninja? 'The hell you expect?' Sakura knew her shishou well enough to avoid asking stupid questions, and then expect an answer non-inclusive of violence towards her pupil. "Eh, never mind!"

"Well then, may I ask one question?" Kakashi said, sending an eye crinkle in the Hokage's direction.

"What is it Kakashi?" She answered, running a hand through her hair, closing her honey coloured eyes tightly, making it obvious to Sakura that her master was getting one of her not-uncommon tension headaches.

"If Sakura-chan is done healing us, may we please go home now?" The eye crinkle deepened, Kakashi's version of begging.

"Sure- come back tomorrow at 9h00. Don't be late, we need to discuss the Kabuto situation." Tsunade waved them off, sitting back down into her Hokage chair, reaching for the bottle of sake Sakura knew was hidden in the lowest drawer of her desk. "Dismissed. Sakura, stay." She sent a look to the unknown man, getting a nod from him in return. Sakura narrowed her vibrant emerald eyes- there was something very fishy going on here.

The three men left, leaving Sakura and the other one alone with the Hokage.

Tsunade sighed, took gulp of her sake, slammed the bottle down on her desk, messing a bit of the clear liquid on the wooden surface. She then laid her head on her desk, groaning slightly, and waved a hand in the air, forming something related to a thumbs up. The masked man took it as some kind of signal and began removing his mask, doing it slowly, ever so reluctantly. Only then did Sakura realise what an imposing presence he had. He seemed to radiate calm, yet at the same time a feeling of _come any closer and die._ Sakura was not overly cautious person, nor overly rash. But with this guy, caution seemed the only way to go, she decided.

Finally the mask was off. The mystery man opened his eyes, and Sakura found her emerald eyes meeting the crimson orbs of none other than Uchiha Itachi.

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><p>Hope I didn't get too carried away with this one… So much for a oneshot ^-^ This was supposed to be a fic revolving around Sakura's new year with Itachi, but seems to be going into story format… Should I keep it like this, or try to merge it into a oneshot? Which is obviously going to have less detail, and will get to the point faster. This story would have more gradual romance, whereas I was thinking of doing a huge time-skip in the oneshot. Help is needed! Keep it like this, or change? Tell me in a review or PM me, please!<p>

Many thanks!

-pasiverebel :)

And P.S, there is kinda another cliffy here, but that's because I don't know what to do with this story… the sooner I make a decision, the sooner I will update :D


	3. Caffeine Confusion

**Tons of thanks to Karleta, narutoshippudenlover, TeenageCrisis and Toyroys who reviewed the last chapter! Your reviews make me sooo happy, you guys are awesome :)**

**And I will be keeping it in story format, thanks so much for your input! :)**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter, it's kind of boring, but needed to set the scene. Thanks again!**

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><p>Sakura did exactly what any self-respecting ninja would do in this situation.<p>

"Kai!"

Nothing.

"Kai!"

A glare from Tsunade.

Sakura figured that if there was a genjutsu, she would have already detected and dispelled it. Maybe it was some kind of test? A transformation? Because there was NO way in hell that Uchiha Itachi was alive.

Right?

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><p><strong>a while later...<strong>

"Ok, your room is the second door on the right, mine is the first on the left. The fridge is over there, the guest bathroom is upstairs, that tiny room next to the attic. I trust you won't get lost. If you do, contact Neji, or Hinata. They have Byakugan. They might attack you, but I'm sure you will be able to defend yourself. You'll only be staying here for a few weeks, so don't get too cozy." Sakura said briskly as she walked into her home with Uchiha Itachi on her heels. She plonked her bag down onto the kitchen table and immediately moved to the coffee machine- her tea was probably cold by now, and a healthy dose of caffeine could fix absolutely anything.

During the time she spent healing Sai and going to the Hokage's office, after the 'explanation', which pretty much consisted of, "This is Itachi, Sasuke's older brother, whom we all thought was dead. He's obviously not. Feed him, clothe him and read him bedside stories if you have too. I WILL be apologising for the ill-treatment he has received from Konoha", Sakura had gotten pretty pissed off. If her master wanted Itachi to be treated well, why didn't she just send him to a damn hotel?

"Kami, my home isn't a damned guesthouse!" She grumbled under her breath, reaching for her special coffee cup (extra-large) which had been given to her by the entire Team 7 as her twentieth birthday present. Naruto had told her that he had to bribe Sai to make him paint a picture of her, Naruto, Kakashi and himself on it. Naruto had then stolen Sai's special ninja ink and written 'coffee dattebayo!' on the side in big, bold letters. It was her favourite possession in the whole world and she used it all the time.

"Mmm." She sighed happily, inhaling the coffee-scent. She saw Itachi gazing at the origin of the smell longingly. Did S class criminals like coffee? Whoops- _ex S-class criminals._ It was going to take her a while to get used to the fact that Itachi was going to have to live with her, for who knows how long, just after hearing that Tsunade was granting him pardon for all his crimes, and even apologising. Shishou never apologized. Ever.

And there was something she just didn't quite get about the fact that Itachi had to stay with _her_ of all people. Sure, she's a medic, and Tsunade's too busy, plus the hospital would probably drug him, wrap him up and drag him to the interrogation squad if he sets food in there without the Hokage personally accompanying him- but she just didn't have time, she told Sakura. But what about Shizune? Or even Ino? Her friend wasn't as skilled as she was, but as far as she knew he didn't have some kind of fatal disease.

Disease. That's it! _I'm supposed to freaking heal him!_

She slammed her cup down in triumph, earning a curious look from her new guest. "Do you want something?" She asked sweetly.

"Some coffee please, Sakura-san." He returned her sweet look, adding a fake smile that would have made Sai proud.

She took out a new cup, this one about a third the size of her one. "How many sugars?"

"None, please." He pulled a chair out and sat down

Bitter coffee. She really didn't like this guy, even forgetting about the fact that he could kill her easily if he wants to. Ok, maybe not that easily. She had been trained under one of the legendary Sannin, after all. That taken into account, she had no idea where the feeling of hostility came from, the feeling that made her want to punch him after every one of his all-too-rare sentences. He had been as quiet as a mute man all the way to her house, masked of course, earning many curious glances and questioning looks. The worst was that she tried to make small talk, but he just ignored her flat, heightening her embarrassment and aggravation. Now that he could get something from her he decided to be all chatty.

She finished making his coffee and put it down in front of him, then got hers and sat down across the table from him. But instead of sitting on the chair, she proceeded to sit on the table, if only to irritate him. He raised an elegant black eyebrow, but did nothing. She realised that this was the first time she had ever seen the famous Uchiha Itachi, feared Akatsuki member, minus said organisation's cloak, and minus the scratched out hitae-ate which marked him as a missing-nin. He would probably get a new one, she thought. But the shinobi would never accept the infamous clan killer as one of them again, although the Godaime did make it clear to her that this man was now in every way a citizen of Konoha and would be treated as such.

She would be spending New Years Eve with this man- it was a mission. She had never said no to a mission before, and would make her Shishou proud no matter what.

"Ok. We have to discuss how we're going to be handling this-" She was cut off by the sharp rap on her door. "Oh no. Not again," She silently mimed going up the stairs and closing the door to Itachi, who understood and moved away, without one sound. She sighed- at least he was quiet in more ways than one. As soon as he was out of sight, she deemed it safe.

"Oi! Sakura-san! Open the door! I'm not getting any younger!" She did as he requested- "Ah, Gai-san! How are you?" There stood the embodiment of youth himself, Maito Gai, complete with blinding grin and doubly-blinding hair.

"My blood is hot with the passion of youth! I am not as young as I once was, but will always remain a child in the mind!" Yes, true words indeed. "Anyway, Sakura-san, why don't you invite me inside, I have something I need to talk to you about- the new training schedule."

"Su-" She started to grant him his request, but remembered about the two inexplicable cups still filled with caffeine on the table- which was so in your face that not even Gai, blinded by his own smile most times, will fail to see. Who knows what his mind will think up? "Su-..ertainly not not!"

He looked heartbroken.

"Well uh, Gai-san, I really don't mean to be nasty but, uhm, I'm kinda busy at the moment." His expression changed in an instant- from exaggerated sorrow to something that can only be described as mischievous.

"Ahh, got a visitor eh, Sakura-chan? I thought I heard voices!" The change from 'san' to 'chan' signalled danger. "Wait till Naruto-kun hears about this!"

"NO!" She shouted. _What will Itachi think of me now, eh? Shouting like a maniac? Wait, no! Stop thinking about him! _"I mean, no Gai-san, I do not have any visitors."

His face shone. "So you won't mind going to train with me for a bit?" Sakura mentally facepalmed. Why here, why now, why _Gai? _"Sorry but I have an urgent mission to take care of for Tsunade-sama, so I can't right now, bye!" He started to protest but she slammed the door in his face, leaning against it and breathing a sigh of relief. She heard him walk away, muttering to himself about youth these days. She grinned to herself- good 'ol Gai. She shook her long pink her loose from the carelessly tied bun and closed her eyes. She had started growing it when the war ended, one year ago. (**A/N I have no idea when the war is going to end, Sakura is about 17 where I am now in the anime, in this fic she is 20 and a few months. That means the war ended when she was 19. Hope that clarifies time etc :) )**

She had cut her hair off to prove something to herself and her friends- also her enemies (her life was saved in the process- that annoying Sound ninja _was_ going to kill her) But Sakura had abandoned that way of thinking, believing that her strength lay not in the length of her hair, but in strength of will and working hard (too much time spent with Naruto is bound it have its effects!). She would never, EVER let an enemy, even a comrade, have her in that vulnerable position again.

So why did she jump about a metre in the air when Itachi appeared in front of her?


	4. What to do?

**Thanks sooo much to Toyroys, ..End88 and Bloody Massacre** **for reviewing! :D you guys are beyond awesome! :D !**

**I want to apologise for the fact that this chapter is being published MUCH later than it was supposed to, was feeling sick, and school started again :/  
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**But heres ch.4! I hope it's not as badly written as I think it is, if there are any changes you guys would like to see or any mistakes you would like to point out, please do so! :)**

**Anyway, I will shut up now, hope you enjoy and please review to tell me what you think! :D**

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><p>"Itachi, what do you want, eh?" Sakura said as she tried to even out her breathing. This man, with his dark, cold black eyes and imposing figure- she acted tough around him, yet he still managed to scare the crap out of her, without (she thought) really meaning too.<p>

"Nothing, Sakura-san," He said in a soft, yet deep voice. "I heard you shout and then slam the door, I was merely concerned for my hostess's wellbeing."

Her eyes widened. Was he really being serious? "Oh, ok then. Well, enjoy the rest of your coffee. I have some things to take care of." She turned around, so that she was facing the door. As her hand rested on the doorknob, she heard Itachi take a deep breath, the kind someone takes when they want to say something. She waited.

"Oh, and Sakura-san," He paused, "I actually don't like bitter coffee. I can't stand the taste."

Surprised, she answered, "You know where the sugar is." Sakura turned the doorknob and left, lightly shutting the door behind her.

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><p>The things she had to take care of involved heading to Karin's place and trying to convince her to go to a bar with her. Neither woman was old enough to drink, but Sakura had saved the owner's ass multiple times and he owed her. Regardless, she just needed something strong to get her mind off the unwanted guest in her house. Also, spending time with Karin was always interesting, to say the least.<p>

Sakura generally got on better with boys, but she did have two good female friends, Hinata being one of them and Karin the other. Most people couldn't stand being in a room with Karin because she is exactly like Sai was- minus the general cluelessness. She was rude, annoying and had a history with Orochimaru (Konoha had taken her in after she was betrayed by Sasuke, swore loyalty to the Fire Country, something about nice chakra. Karin always went on and on about chakra and how it's 'feeling' differed from person to person. Sakura didn't get it).

One day she had just snapped and tried to beat Karin up, resulting in the unusual redhead befriending her. Sakura had no idea why- she decided to give up figuring Karin out a long time ago. They had begun to have regular sparring matches which in the beginning, Sakura always won. But the more they trained, the more skills Karin gained, finding out that she was adept at casting powerful genjutsus without detection. She was then sent to train with Kurenai, Konoha's master genjutsu user, thus cementing her skills. From there on she got accepted slowly by the shinobi of Konoha, and even finding someone who liked her for who she was, a citizen man who worked at the local barbeque place. This led her to finally getting over Sasuke, thus dissolving the grudge she held against Sakura for being his former teammate. Though even after all this development, she still had not learned to stop saying the bad word around Chouji.

They still lacked the easy Forehead/Pig relationship Sakura had with Ino, but they got on well enough and had a deep bond. Plus listening to Karin tune Neji was the funniest thing Sakura had ever seen.

"_What colour is that wall?"_

"_Are you blind?" Neji said in an exasperated voice._

"_Are _you_?" _

"_No."_

"_You look blind." Karin fiddled with her glasses._

"_Are you saying all members of the powerful Hyuuga clan are blind?"_

"_Nope. Just you."_

"_Leave me."_

"_Even if you're not blind, your Chakra's shit. You stink worse than Suigetsu."_

"_Go. Away." Neji picked up his pace. Sakura couldn't help snickering._

"_You should consider cutting your hair- it makes you look even more like a girl."_

"_That's it!" He abruptly stopped, drawing stares from the surrounding villagers, "Jyuuken: Sixty-four palm strike!"_

"_Ahhh!"_

Neji had always been very sensitive to comments about his appearance- but being on a team with Gai and Lee, he really couldn't be blamed.

Sakura eventually arrived at Karin's home, a small flat which was filled with luxury items. As she was a sensor-type, Karin actually knew that Sakura was there without her having to knock. The fiery redhead opened the door for her, standing there in her signature short-shorts and boots, eyeing Sakura with a questioning gaze.

"Wanna go for a drink?"

"Hell yes!" She replied in a gruff voice. At that moment the phone rang, and Karin strolled to the phone to answer it.

"Hmmm I don't know…" Her voice changed pitch, from low and gruff to high like a child's voice. Sakura inwardly smirked- must be the boyfriend. "If you insist…"

She put the phone down, allowing a contented sigh to escape her lips. "I can't go right now… something came up… so sorry…"

Sakura gave her a smile that said it was fine, and slowly edged out of the room when Karin yanked open her cupboard door and started pulling random articles of clothing out. It was time to leave.

Shutting the door, a realisation hit her.

Now what was she supposed to do?

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><p>Life hadn't changed much in Konoha after the war, and that fact made her happy. Elders still took their grandchildren for days out, villagers still laughed and talked as they worked, and the night was still beautiful- her favourite time to be outside, either training or just taking a walk to enjoy the sights.<p>

The past was still here- and she was stuck with a certain relic of the past for an uncertain amount of time.

Sakura sighed. It looks like she was going to be spending New Years with Itachi, after all.


	5. Settling In

It has been insanely long since I last updated this D: so sorry! Made this chapter extra-long to make up for it! XD many thanks to TheBlackRose123, KH, Karleta and Toyroys for the reviews! For this chappie I recommend listening to either Coffee Break Time by Zeds Dead or Black and Blue by Miike Snow (Netsky remix). Both suit the chapter. Anyway, hope you enjoy! :D

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><p>While his hostess was gone, Itachi had mixed some sugar into his coffee and was contentedly sipping it, relishing in the sweetness, wondering why he lied.<p>

It seemed like a small thing, "I don't drink sugar." But Itachi knew that he couldn't stand bitter, sour things. He wasn't one to make a big deal out of small happenings, but something about this was bugging him. Why did he do it?

Maybe he thought by lying he could put some distance between them. She obviously wouldn't trust him and he was giving him reason not to. Maybe he saw sweet things as his weakness and was trying to 'overcome' it. Maybe the way she asked him reminded him of the day that his mother introduced him to the wonders of the 'coffee plant' as he called it.

_Stop this, Uchiha. Stop examining things that have absolutely no relevance. Just forget about it._

It wasn't that easy for him to listen to his own advice, but he tried to do it anyway. He decided to go for a tour around the house. He smirked when he realised that she hadn't even told him where his room was. He would have to look for whatever room didn't have any feminine objects inhabiting it. The small house had 3 bedrooms it seemed, one being locked (he assumed it was Sakura's), one resembling a medic's check-up room, and one that was very…cream. It screamed guest-room. Itachi had no belongings, so he didn't particularly care about the tiny closet and lack of a vanity table. There was a small desk with ink and parchment (no chair), a single bed (cream coloured with shiny pillows in a slightly darker hue) and when he opened the closet he found an interesting object resembling, well, resembling something.

When he removed it, he was shocked to see it come apart. As he rested it softly onto the carpet-clad floor (cream) he noticed that it was one of those strange 'folding' chairs citizens used when they went camping for pleasure.

That was when it struck him.

He, the genius, had no idea how to put it together.

* * *

><p>"Hello, freeloader-dono! I'm back! Where are you?" He grimaced at the freeloader part.<p>

"Welcome, Sakura-san. I'm in here-" She sighed and headed to where the voice was coming from. When she saw him sitting on the floor examining her old folding-chair, she couldn't hold back the laugh.

"May I ask what it is that is so amusing?" He enquired with a perfectly straight face.

She laughed again and then forced her face into poker-face mode. "It's just, you know, you don't look dangerous at all sitting on my carpet and looking at my ancient folding chair. It's just kind of unexpected, 'tis all."

"Am I supposed to look dangerous?" He said quietly, getting up from his awkward position and coming to stand directly in front of his hostess, leaving nearly no space between them. He realised how small and frail-looking she was compared to him. He let his eyes flash red for a second, only a second, before backing off and bending to pick up the chair.

"Was that little show meant to scare me, freeloader?" She said to his back.

"Not necessarily. You are indeed tougher than you look, Sakura-san." She scowled. Why did he have to be so damn polite? And combining an insult with a compliment took skill.

"Whatever." She turned to leave.

"Wait." She exasperatedly put her hands on her hips, "What now?"

"Uh," He began, "How do you work this thing?"

* * *

><p>Naruto threw the last kunai into the target, took a deep breath and considered what he would do next. He was worried about Sakura. As far as he knew, she would be alone tonight and he felt guilty about it. He was supposed to be her best friend, yet he insisted on having a private dinner with his girlfriend instead of spending time with his long-time teammate. She had made it clear that she didn't mind, but the Uzumaki knew full well her skill of hiding her true emotions. Sometimes he thought she did it automatically, without really meaning too. She was indeed a master of self-denial. Naruto always pretended not to notice these things, but…<p>

_I think I need to talk to her. Maybe we can make a plan, maybe a double-date to old man Ichiraku's new upscale restaurant. She'd like that. But who would she go with? Sai? Maybe Neji? Or Lee? Alone?_

"Hey, longtimenoseeNaruto-kun!"

"Oi, same to you Fuzzy-brows-sensei! Where have you been?"

"Ah nowhere much." His eyes and hairdo twinkled at the same time.

"Oh ok then, I was just leaving-"

"Have it your way then, if you MUST know, I was at Sakura-chan's a while ago, and she was acting mighty strange…" Gai paused, rubbing his chin and pursing his lips, "You wouldn't maybe know the reason why, eh, Naruto-kun?"

"She gets like that every year this time, sensei. Nobody knows why."

"No no NO! I have been insightful and noticed the un-noticeable! Her strangeness this year is different to last-year's strangeness!"

"In what way?" Naruto asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Ah ah ah!" Gai waggled his eyebrows.

"Aww Fuzzy-brows-sensei, now I really want to kno-"

"Well then young one I'm off!" He said and ran away so fast that there were dust clouds forming behind him.

"What was that?" Naruto shook his head and massaged it, feeling a headache coming." Well then, I might as well go and investigate.

* * *

><p>"Rice balls?" Itachi rose an eyebrow.<p>

"Yes. You don't like it, go eat somewhere else. I'm out of stock. Haven't been shopping in ages." It wasn't even dark yet and Sakura had already changed into her pyjamas- white shorts and a black tank top- the Uchiha still had his shinobi uniform on.

She took a bite of her riceball. "You know, freeloader, you should really change out of that. You're stinking up the house."

"Are we on friendly terms now? No suffix? I'm honoured." But then he removed, at least, the green flax jacket and hung it on the back of his chair. She still hadn't stopped with the freeloader business.

She mumbled noncommittally and was just about to grab another riceball when Itachi began coughing violently, staining his pure white rice a dark red colour. He was slapping his chest and struggling to get breath in. Sakura jumped up from her seat on the couch and ran to the kitchen to pour him a class of water. She gave it to him and he immediatly drowned the contents and the coughing eased up a bit, becoming drier with longer intervals.

When he was able to speak without choking, she asked him, "What the hell was that? What's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing." He replied, stony faced.

"The hell it is. Sit here and take your shirt off." She pointed to the coffee table and when he said nothing, "Don't get any ideas, freeloader. You're a patient, I'm a doctor. I need to go find my stethoscope."

"Hn." When she was gone he let himself indulge a little by rolling his eyes.

* * *

><p>Naruto was lost in thought all the way to Sakura's small townhouse. What could Fuzzybrows-sensei have meant? Before he knew it he was standing in front of her door and his hand was poised to knock. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement and decided that she must be sitting on her couch reading, and this would be the perfect time to practice making scary faces through the window. It will probably not scare her, but will possibly ignite a small smile and that was all Naruto wanted to see.<p>

He readied his face, stuck his tongue out, bulged his eyes and extended his ears by hooking a thumb behind each one. A few people walked by, and all of them were thinking the same thing.

_Stalker._

The thought made Naruto grin, and it completed the weird picture that was his face. He quickly moved to the window he knew she always left uncovered and…

Suddenly all his features went back to normal and then got a strained look to them. No Sakura.

_Who the hell is that?_

There was a man sitting on her coffee table, with his back to Naruto so he could not identify his face. He was shirtless, and had the body of a shinobi, muscled but lean, with various scars.

_What is he doing in Sakura's house? On her coffee table? What's the deal?_

At that moment Sakura walked in and Naruto hid behind a wall so that he was out of sight. But he listened.

_Uzumaki Naruto, now you really are being a stalker._

He didn't care.

* * *

><p>"Ok so, this might be a little cold." She said, pressing the medical instrument to his bare chest. When she had walked in, she couldn't help but notice the man's amazing body. He was <em>built<em>. With well-developed muscles in all the right places, pale skin and a scar here and there. She felt a blush heat her cheeks when she told him to breath in and then out, and feeling his chest move as he did. She mentally shook her head and slapped her out of the funk she could feel herself getting into.

"It doesn't sound good."

"Ah?"

"Your lungs are all clogged up… It doesn't sound good."

"You already said that."

"I did? Oh," She removed the stethoscope and hung it back around her neck. "I don't have the medicine I need with me at this moment. If you think you'll be ok I can go and get some quickly-"

"Sakura, think. It's New Year's Eve. None of the medical shops are going to be open."

"But the hospital-"

"Leave. It. Medicine is not going to work, anyway."

"How do you know? You're not a medic."

"I have some experience."

"But-" Her medic's instincts were taking over, not to be mention the fear of an angry Tsunade knowing that she hadn't helped the man in whatever way she could.

"I know what you're thinking. Tsunade isn't going to get mad at you. Wait until tomorrow, at least. I won't die in my sleep."

She was about to protest again but she deemed it worthless.

"Ok, then. Finish your food and go to bed." Surprisingly enough he obeyed, finishing the last riceball in one gulp and made his way to the guest-room.

"Oh, and, Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Mmm. No problem. Now go away."

* * *

><p>As their conversation ended, Naruto began slowly moving away, trying to be quiet. The man was sick? Tsunade would be mad? About what? Sakura-chan was feeding him? He was living with her? So many questions that he just couldn't find answers to.<p>

_I'm going to talk to her tomorrow. _

_But then she'll find out that I was eavesdropping! _

_Maybe I'll be indirect and ask things like, "What did you do yesterday?" or "Had any interesting visitors?"_

_No! Too obvious._

_But I want to know…_

"Naruto. I know you're there. Come on out."

* * *

><p>Sooo? How was it? Worth the wait? Pleaaase review to tell me what you think and give me ideas of what could be wrong with Itachi, because I'm kind of clueless when it comes to medical stuff :O any help at all will be greatly appreciated! Oh and thanks to Toyroys for giving me the idea to bring Naruto in the picture, and also inspiring another Gai scene! I just couldn't help it, so fun to write his character!<p>

~PR78 :)


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